In Baghdad, a talented cobbler named Tack dreams of creating magical shoes. Meanwhile, a thief named Zigzag plans to overthrow the kingdom with the help of a wicked sorcerer. When Princess Yum-Yum is kidnapped, Tack and the thief must unite to save her and the entire kingdom.
Begotten is a surreal and disturbing fantasy horror film that explores ideas of transcendence, self-mutilation, spirituality, and the brutality and violence of existence. It follows a story of a deformed man who is born from the self-insemination of Mother Earth, and the various horrifying and grotesque events that unfold.
The Dot and the Line is a romantic short film featuring a dot and a line who fall in love. However, the dot feels insecure because the line is more versatile and flexible. Through personal growth and transformation, the dot learns about self-confidence and ultimately wins the line's heart. This abstract film explores themes of identity, rejection, and unconventional love.
In this short film, a man in a shabby apartment becomes obsessed with finding and killing a bug that is plaguing him. As he searches for the bug, the man becomes increasingly desperate and unhinged. The film has a surprise ending that leaves the viewer questioning the reality of what they just watched.
Anemic Cinema is a 1926 silent film that delves into the surreal and abstract world of avant-garde art. The film explores themes of nihilism and dadaism, taking viewers on a visually captivating journey through a circle of abstract and fragmented imagery. Through its innovative use of typography and rhythmic patterns, Anemic Cinema challenges traditional narrative structures and invites the audience to contemplate the meaning of existence and the role of art in a chaotic world.
Night Music is an abstract film that explores the concept of moving visual thinking through the use of painted light. The film takes viewers on a visual journey, creating a mesmerizing and unique experience.
The Joy of Learning is an avant-garde film set in 1960s Vietnam. It delves into the themes of revolution, education, and the cultural and political climate of that era. The film takes a thought-provoking approach to explore the impact of these factors on society and individuals. Through its experimental and abstract filmmaking techniques, it aims to challenge conventional notions of storytelling and provoke introspection.
On what apparently is a parallel world, time flows in a much slower pace than normal. The ocean remains on a solid state of matter as the eccentric individuals who inhabit this land casually wander over it.
The Dante Quartet is a mesmerizing exploration of the afterlife, portrayed through surreal hand-painted animation. The film delves into the realms of heaven, hell, and purgatory, taking viewers on a journey through abstract landscapes and captivating imagery. It is a unique and avant-garde piece that unfolds without dialogue, relying solely on visuals and a haunting musical score. The Dante Quartet invites audiences to contemplate the mysteries of existence and the cyclical nature of life and death.
In the industrial landscape of Russia, a mysterious and violent world unfolds. Through a series of surreal conversations in a bar, an old woman recounts tales of her past as a prostitute and the deaths she has witnessed. The film challenges traditional narrative structure and explores themes of industrialization, postmodernism, and the emptiness of the human experience.
Black Ice is a mesmerizing animated short film that explores the world of painted light and abstract imagery. With breathtaking visuals and a captivating narrative, it takes viewers on a journey through the depths of imagination.
Tarantella is a short animated film from 1940 that combines abstract shapes and visuals with music. It is considered to be a masterpiece of modernism and avant-garde filmmaking. The film explores the concept of visual music and showcases the creativity and innovation of abstract animation.
Rainbow Dance is an abstract promotional film that features dancing and rain. The film showcases various dancing scenes, including one with silhouette dancers in the rain. It also includes imagery of a spinning coin, a savings bank, and other abstract elements. The film has a unique avant-garde style and incorporates various animation techniques such as rotoscoping and motion capture.
A critique of materialism, the film is about a young couple who live in a rundown empty apartment. Their love is so strong that it makes the water flow and the electricity work, but when they start purchasing furniture and knickknacks, they fight and grow apart.
Composition in Blue is a short film created in 1935 that showcases stop-motion animation techniques and focuses on blue compositions. The film features abstract visuals and uses geometric shapes like cubes, cylinders, and cones. It also incorporates classical music to enhance the viewing experience.
An Optical Poem is an avant-garde experimental film that combines abstract shapes and forms with classical music. The film explores the relationship between music and visuals in a unique and visually stunning way. Through intricate geometric patterns and fluid movements, An Optical Poem creates a mesmerizing and immersive experience for the audience.
To the toccata portion of Bach's "Toccata and fugue in D minor," we watch a play of sorts. Blue smoke forms a background; a grid of black lines is the foreground. Behind the lines, a triangle appears, then patterns of multiple triangles. Their movements reflect the music's rhythm. Behind the barrier of the black lines, the triangle moves, jumps, and takes on multiple shapes. In contrast with the blue and the black, the triangles are warm: orange, red, yellow. The black lines bend, swirl into a vortex, then disappear. The triangle pulsates and a set of many of them rises.
In the year 2012 historian Raimo Lappalainen wants to illustrate how life was 50 years earlier. He becomes obsessed with the fate of a 1970s nude model Saara Turunen, and finds a perfect actress to reconstruct her life and death in front of a TV camera. Meanwhile, a strike at a nuclear plant is covered up by the media.
Castro Street is an avant-garde documentary film that explores the vibrant and noisy atmosphere of Castro Street in 1966. Through its experimental style, the film depicts the industrial and urban landscape, featuring images of street signs, oil refineries, locomotives, trucks, and various urban noises. The film serves as a preserved piece of history, providing a unique glimpse into the past.
In the 1936 short Allegretto, diamond and oval shapes in primary colors perform a sensual, upbeat ballet to the music of composer Ralph Rainger. The geometric dance is set against a background of expanding circles that suggest radio waves. [Early Version and Late Version preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1999].